The Pocky Game and Other Short Stories!
by kissmyanimex2012
Summary: Short little ficlets filled with fluff, based on the official and unoffical pairings of Kaleido Star! Taking requests on pairings
1. The Pocky Game

**NEW!** Finally, the new story is up! Yes, yes I know! I have to work on Opposites Attract, P&P:TOTL, A Kaleido Star Vacation, AAAND now I have this, without a doubt I have too much work on my hands! Not only that, but I'm failing my algebra class (which probably means I can't stay in my Honors group or stay as Student Council President, so my teacher says…) so I've got even MORE on my plate! Grr! Oh well, more writing for me, after all, if I didn't love writing all these stories, I wouldn't be on now would I? Enjoy!

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**The Pocky Game and Other Short Stories**

Chapter One: _The Pocky Game_

Pairing: _Leon/Sora_

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There was something simply mouth-watering about eating pocky. Of course, anyone who has eaten the delectable treat would certainly agree. Sora was one of those people.

"Hmm! Sugoi!"

She popped another little stick into her mouth. It was the beginning of summer vacation, which not only meant relaxation but also a rare flavor of pocky to Sora. In Japan, the rare "Kiwi-Mango Pocky" was issued only in the summer, and that just happened to be Sora's favorite flavor. Mia, along with the others, teased her about it that very morning she had received the package (and yes, she did have her pocky delivered straight from Japan.)

"Man, you sure do spend a lot on some treats."

"You had it shipped in? No way!"

Her friends simply didn't understand the lengths that Pocky fans will go through to get what they want.

"Of course, this is a rare flavor! And besides, you should always order them in the beginning of the summertime, they tend to get sold out in a lot of stores quickly."

Her friends sweatdropped and sighed. They would never get the Japanese culture. Sarah whispered playfully in her ear.

"Hey, why don't you share some of that?"

Sora pulled away from her, hiding the box beside her like a precious gem. Sarah laughed.

"Not with me silly, though I wouldn't mind… but I really meant share it with a guy! You of all people should know! Share your pocky with the one you love and your greatest romance wishes will come true!"

Sora blushes and shook her head. The one you love? Who did she love? She found herself walking down a hallway eating her beloved pocky, heading for the practice room in a daze.

"Love… someone I love…"

"You're in love with someone?"

Sora jumped suddenly, coming to her senses abruptly. She flushed. 'Had I been talking out loud?'

Leon, who had been occupying the practice area, had looked down at her for a brief moment and overheard her rambling, though he hadn't looked so happy after he heard what she had said.

"I asked you a question."

"O-Oh! No, I'm not! Haha, just talking to myself! Hehe…"

Sora laughed awkwardly before taking a seat on a chair nearby. Leon hopped down from the swings and grabbed the water bottle and towel near her, taking a long drink and wiping his brow. Sora kept mumbling to herself, not even noticing that he stood so close to her. 'What exactly was occupying her mind?' Leon decided to leave her be, but noticed that she left a stick of pocky idle in her mouth. He smirked. 'Something must be really bothering her then, if she forgot about her little treat.' As Sora drift off into "La-la Land," Leon watched the stick move up and down in her mouth.

"Share it… with someone you love…"

"Hmm?"

Leon's ears perked up suddenly. Share what with someone you love? As if to answer his thoughts, Sora muttered a soft "Pocky…" before actually nodding off into a short doze. Leon felt his cheeks flush slightly.

"So that's what's on her mind…"

Though Leon had never tasted the treat before (AN: Le gasp!), he had to admit that the little biscuit stick looked quite delicious, and watching it bob up and down in her mouth didn't help the thought he had in his mind.

"Well she is sleeping…"

It wouldn't be like the real thing.

"It's just an innocent joke, right?"

She would understand… right?"

"It's not like she would mind…"

Though it was _her_ rare treat.

Leon moved slowly and carefully towards her, careful not to stir her from her peaceful sleep. He kneeled slightly, positioning himself in front of her face. He felt her warm breath on his cheek. He lifted his hand up to her face and…

"WAKE UP!"

"AHHH!"

Sora fell out of chair after being rudely awakened. She rubbed her rear with a pained expression on her face.

"What the heck? Leon, you… mean, mean person you! You made me drop my pocky"

Leon chuckled softly before extending a hand. Sora placed another one in her mouth before looking up.

"You should watch where you sleep,"

Sora accepted the kind gesture but gasped when he pulled her up suddenly and forced her up against the wall behind them, the pocky hanging lazily in her mouth. She refused to waste another stick, so she held it between her teeth. Sora blushed bright enough to darken the sunrays. Leon put his arm over head and used the other one to hold her in place, in case she squirmed.

"You never know who has a watchful eye on you. You know, it's dangerous to sleep with something in your mouth."

Leon brought his face to a proximity close to her lips. Sora looked into his eyes but found herself whimpering at the look in them. They were full of lust.

'What the hell is he doing?!'

Before she ask, he answered her question by biting on the other end of the tasty snack, nibbling on it until her got close enough to her lips, then bit it off before it could go any further. Sora's knees buckled and she let out a prolonged sigh.

"Leon, what was that?"

Leon smirked and licked his lips, earning another small whimper from his pink-hair partner.

"You said to 'share your pocky with the one you like', right? I decided to do it for you."

"Wha--?!"

Leon turned and walked off as if nothing transpired between them. Sora fell to the ground in a blushing, stuttering mess. Then a vein popped in her head.

"WHAT THE HELL DOES _THAT _MEAN?!"

--¤--

Ah, clueless little Sora. When will she learn? For an explanation, once Leon knew what was bothering her (a.k.a. The Myth of the Pocky Game: Share your pocky with your loved one and your love life will be great), he decided to do the Pocky Game himself, which also means he likes her. Sora is such a confused little girl, you just can't help but love her! Ja ne!


	2. Pet

By popular choice (though it was a 4-way tie), I decided that chapter two will be on Layla/Yuri! Enjoy!

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**The Pocky Game and Other Short Stories**

Chapter Two: _Pet_

Pairing: _Layla/Yuri_

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It was so very mundane, being the obedient puppy. But then again, it was only natural that the faithful dog would walk behind its master with such respect and conformity, so he didn't mind. It was the classical master/disciple scenario, she would give him an order and he would follow it, lest he make a mistake and she would scold him. But in truth, sometimes the follower has to rebel against its master in order to truly get what he or she wants, even if it means receiving the consequences.

"Yuri, go faster. You're slowing me down."

"…No…"

Layla looked at him with squinted eyes and glared.

"_What_ did you say?"

Yuri looked away from her, not wanting to make eye contact.

"I said no… is there a problem?"

Layla sighed and sat on the trapeze bar.

"Yes, that is a problem. I need you to speed up, and you would best do so, this show--"

"Why don't you slow down?"

Layla paused and glanced at him.

"No."

"Well then, that creates a bigger problem. If I don't want to speed up and you don't wish to slow down, then this will become a hindrance to our act."

Layla's eyebrows furrowed and her grip on the iron bars became increasingly tight.

"You're very stubborn today."

Yuri smiled.

"You too."

Layla smirked before jumping off the bar into the net below, then making her way to the ground.

"Practice is over for today, Layla."

Layla looked at him from the ladder and blinked.

"Now who made this decision?"

"I did. We've been working all morning, you've got to be tired by now--"

"No. Only I make that decision. If I'm tired, I will tell you so."

She was annoyed again. Yuri sighed, 'And just when I thought she was in a good mood too…' Layla picked up a bottle of water and took a sip, all the while staring at Yuri. 'What is he thinking of?' She put the bottle down and headed for the ladder.

"I'm ready. Lets start."

Yuri groaned with comic woe and headed after her, but seeing what trick she wanted to attempt, Yuri wanted to keel over.

"Lets do a routine on the corde lisse."

Now that was something even the most experienced of acrobats didn't like to take a crack at, a partner act on the Corde Lisse. It was a rare act, only the most daring of stages, like the Cirque du Soleil, had attempted to try it. Layla sure was demanding. Reluctantly, Yuri climbed the ladder after his self-centered master and wrapped an arm around the thin cloth.

"Layla, I don't think--"

"That's right, you shouldn't think. Now lets do this."

Layla started it off, doing a basic upside down hang then switching to a perfectly executed dive and hang. Yuri felt sweat roll down his cheek. He knew as much as to not attempt such a feat but knew if he didn't he would have to face Layla's criticizing and antagonizing voice, so he jumped on and did the act anyways. Layla climbed up the cloth rope and met up with him.

"Catch me before I fall."

"Layla, but--"

"_Catch me before I fall_…"

She repeated herself whilst gritting her teeth. Yuri exhaled and complied, it would be best to follow his master's order. But then a little light bulb went off in his head. Layla did a salto and followed it up into a swan dive, a difficult maneuver that was pulled off with ease by the Miss Hamilton. She closed her eyes, awaiting to be caught by her partner, only to find that she was still falling even after she did her stunt. Her eyes opened widely and she glanced around frantically, looking for Yuri and waiting for him to catch her. She looked up to see that Yuri was watching her fall with a peaceful look on his face. The jerk! He was going to let her hit the net!

"What the hell is he thinking?!"

She watched in fear as he wrapped a foot loosely around the rope and let himself slide down it at an alarming rate, catching up to her in no time.

"Want some help? Falling from about 50 feet does hurt, even with a safety net."

"YOU IDIOT! CATCH ME!"

Yuri smirked. "Beg me."

"WHAT?!"

"I said beg me, Layla. Oh, and call me Master Yuri…"

Layla was furious. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"

"Maybe, but I still have enough sense to see that you're about to hit that net, and when you do, the impact will probably force the net to snap and you'll hit the floor like a splattered egg. Now beg."

Layla closed her eyes, imagining the scenario he explain, then whimpered slightly before parting her lips and pleading a meek, "Please."

"I can't hear you! Maybe its all the air pressure…"

"P-Please Y-Yuri…"

"What was that?"

"You ass!"

"Ah, looks like you can help yourself then."

"NO! WAIT! Please _Master_ Yuri, please catch me! I'm begging you!"

Yuri smirked deviously before extending a hand and catching her arm. Layla grunted and sighed, then looked down. The had stopped right before she hit the net. Yuri let go of the rope and fell gently to the net along with her, positioning himself so that she would land on top of him. After a series of hard breathing, Layla pushed herself off his chest, blushing not only from the fact that she was lying on top of him but that she had actually pleaded with Yuri in such a disgraceful manner.

"You are such an ass, you know that?"

"Yes but a sexy one at that, right?"

"Hmm…"

She flushed brighter, looking away from him shyly.

"Promise me you'll never do that again."

"Yes, master."

She looked at him questioningly after he said "master", but dismissed it as him being stupid. She smiled.

"You would've caught me anyways right?"

She had ruffled his hair, something unbecoming of her.

"Nope."

The room went deathly quiet. Then the sound of skin hitting skin rang in the air. Yuri rubbed his cheek as he watched his master jump off the net and stomp away. Though it stung, Yuri rubbed his cheek happily. For once, he had been the master, and she, the begging puppy. Yuri smirked before calling after her.  
"Oh and Layla, you can keep calling me Master Yuri too…"

She stopped abruptly in her tracks before turning around slightly and flipping the bird at him, an evident blush on her face.

--¤--

Done! Hoped you liked it! Oh, and the acrobatic stunts performed on the Corde Lisse are all real. The Corde Lisse, or Aerial Rope technique, is a series of acrobatic stunts performed on cloth, ropes, Chinese poles, etc. I had the pleasure of watching a Corde Lisse show at a Marriot in England about 2 years ago and suddenly being remembered by it, the Corde Lisse became the theme of the story! Ja ne!


	3. Never Notices Me

This ficlet is for Miss **Asuka**, the anonymous reader that asked if I could write a May/Leon chapter! Enjoy! And oh yeah, sorry about May's thoughts skipping around, but that's how the human mind functions. I wrote it in the way I would be thinking (I'm a schizophrenic when it comes to thinking... maybe I have Thought Disorder... nah, maybe I'm just a tad stupid!)

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**The Pocky Game and Other Short Stories**

Chapter Three: _Never Notices Me_

Pairing: _May/Leon _(one-sided May; in first person)

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You know I really hate it when nobody pays attention to me. Yeah, I may sound conceited but it's just the way things are with me. I have to be the center of attention, _or else_. That's probably one reason why I just can't stand _her_. She's _soooo_ perfect, _soooo_ pretty, _soooo_ special, but I'm just May Wong, that annoying girl with the loud voice. Every time I see her I want to choke her out, just strangle her until her last breath of air just-- now wait, now I just sound hostile and resentful. I don't fully have hard feelings about her anymore, she's proved her point, that _she_ is the next big star. I can't fight with her, for her title _or_ her partner. Yes, I can't compete with her for Leon. That must be it, why I hated her. It's because _she_ has Leon… I never really noticed it, but he's one of the main reasons why I don't like her. He was always focused on her after I didn't satisfy him with my skills. He broke my arm just so she could be his partner. He even chased her that night. That night, he called her Sophie right? He pushed Sora out of harm's way and tumbled down the hill just to land **on top** of her. Right on top. Now that made me blush, it was so embarrassing and very rare to catch Leon like that. Made me want to be in Sora's spot for once. Wait-- what? Yeah, I'll just imagine I never thought that. But I guess that deep down, somewhere in my heart, I let my personal feelings get in the way of my work. My feelings about Sora, my feelings about the stage, and especially my feelings for Leon. Yeah, I guess I should admit it, I loved him. I thought that maybe, _just maybe_, if I tried hard enough, he would acknowledge me and accept me as more than just his partner. But, even after I proved myself worthy to be his partner, he still chose Sora over me. Sora… why her? Does he have a thing for pink hair? Maybe he likes overalls? Does he like klutzy, ditzy girls like her? Should I dye my hair? Eh, on a second thought, no. I just have to accept that he will never notice me the way I want him to. That's right, I want him to notice me! Is that why I'm so loud and obnoxious, because I want him to accept me and to like me? Yes. That has to be the reason why I'm so fixated on him, I want him to like me. No. I want him to love--

"May! Your cue!"

"Huh, what?! OH!"

Man, I almost screwed up big time! My role is huge, and if Mia didn't remind me of what I should have been doing, I would have had to ad-lib again. I'm getting sloppy… man I hate this role. I wanted to be Giselle but _no_, Sora got the role. I got stuck with the secondary female lead, Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis. It's an important role, but I wanted to be in the center! She gets to perform with Leon. He's playing the male lead, Duke Albert of Silesia. Lucky Sora, she gets to embrace him lovingly and passionately at the end. But the ending is still tragic, as she becomes a wilis and passes on to the afterlife, forever separated from her lover. Deep down, I guess I'm wishing that her role would come to life, that she would be eternally estranged from Leon. Am I really that spiteful? God, I must really love him.

"May, focus! What the heck are you doing?"

Ah, my earpiece!

"S-Sorry!"

I'm screwing up again. Alright, time to make up for my follies. This is the biggest part! Now I get to take the lead and dance with Leon, I have to lure him to me, lure him to the grave. I will set a beautiful stage for him the dance to the death on. He will keep dancing, on and on, until his heart gives way and I will have him. But alas, his dance will cease when Sora reenters. She will come to save him from me, and she will admit his undying love for him, forcing him to stop. God, how I love this moment, he's dancing with me! It may end soon, but I will savor the moment well until it does. No! I don't want this minute to come to an end! I'll ad-lib.

"May, that's not in the script!"

Damn, I want to shut that earpiece off, Mia's voice is getting annoying.

"I'm improvising."

Here I am, dancing a pas de deux with him, though it's not in the screenplay. The libretto calls for Sora to enter now. Great, even though I elongated my act, she still tries to intervene. She hops out gracefully and twirls her hands above her head, the mime for "dance with me". Ha! Like I'll give him up! Never, not until he notices me! So we keep dancing, I guess he caught the drift of my improvisation and is going to act as if his heart is dying out. He'll become my puppet, he'll dance and dance with me until he dies and becomes mine. He won't go back to her, I won't allow it! Sora starts a pas de deux, but with who? Herself? No way. No _freaking _way. She's actually doing it! She doing a "dance for two" by herself?! She's nuts! It's suicide! She has to do a grande leap, she'll hurt herself!

"May, you were the one who orchestrated this part, now finish it."

Leon? God I almost forgot about him. I pulled him into an embrace, his legs buckling. He's good at acting, he really looks like he's dying. Sora mimes "please don't go," before doing her grande leap into the air, arcing her back, and then falling back to the ground, hurting her back from the look of things. No! Wait, please don't leave me either! Sora mimes, "I love you" while reaching for him. No, don't go to her! But it's too late, Leon ends the act by waking up from his trance-like state and goes with her, allowing the wilis to descend to their graves. The crowd's applause goes wild, but not for me. They've already forgotten about me. Sora's heartwarming rescue of her beloved Duke, that's what they're clapping for. I'm out the limelight and back in the shadows. My role ended. I didn't get what I wanted. We take our bows and leave the stage area. Sora went her dressing room already. I'm so worn-out from all the dancing, so I guess I'll take a seat on the floor in the corner, away from everyone else. Mia and Kalos are going to scold me for making mistakes and ad-libbing again.

"Good job out there, May. The improvisation was well calculated, I didn't expect that from you."

Wha- huh?! Leon?! Oh wow, he's standing right in front of me! He congratulated me on a show well done?! I think I started crying because Sora dragged him away from me and punched him in the arm, scolding him for being mean or something like that. Wow, he really like it? He at long last paid attention to me… he actually acknowledge my presence…

He finally noticed me!

--¤--

I guess it takes a daring personality like May or Sora's to really get Leon to like you! Well, he doesn't really like her, he merely complemented her lateral thinking skills… but I guess it's whatever makes the girl happy! Fluffy, one-sided May/Leon goodness for all. Oh and here's some clarification!

1.) _Giselle_, a ballet created by Adolphe Adam with two acts and two scenes, tells of a story of a young maiden's love for a man who is thought to be a peasant like herself but is actually the Duke of her land. In the first act, a young, innocent village maiden named Giselle is in love with a man she knows only as Loys. In reality, the man is Albrecht, a nobleman disguised as a peasant, who is betrothed to Bathilde, daughter of the Duke. When Giselle discovers the deceit, she is devastated and goes mad, then dies; one version says she dies of a broken heart while another says she commits suicide in her insanity. In the second act, her undying love for Albrecht saves him from the wicked magic of the wilis, vampire-like ghosts of betrothed girls who were betrayed by their lovers and died before their wedding day. Though their leader, Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, forces Albrecht to dance again and again, Giselle intervenes long enough to spare his life and allow him to survive until the dawn. At sunrise, the wilis must return to their grave; Giselle must return as well but not before showing Albrecht that she forgives him for his treachery. The two pledge their love to each other and she descends back into her grave, but will forever be separated. Giselle is now a wilis for the rest of eternity.

2.) For some who watched the anime, _Princess Tutu_, some might know of two different acts, the Giselle scene and the Pas de Deux Battle between the prima donna princesses themselves, Princess Tutu (Ahiru) and Princess Kraehe (Rue). I stole the miming grande leap from the Pas de Deux scene, and the whole Giselle scene from it (except the embrace, that's my part).

Ja ne!


	4. Rainy Days

Eek! My first shojo-ai story! I've done shojo-ai videos, but never really wrote one! Aaannnd, on to other things! My area has a huge flood warning (which is the theme for this story)! My school bus broke down on a hill with a flooded street, and it started moving… I don't know how some people manage to stay calm in those situations, but let me tell you something, I have asthma, I have claustrophobia, and also I get really nervous in really bad situations (I usually crack jokes to pass the time, but that's when its not that serious), so I ended up screaming, crying, and calling my mom (lol). EEK! HUUUUGE thunder cracked a minute ago! God, I'll finish this chapter and crawl into my room. This is crazy, soon we'll be getting a tornado warning too! Man oh man, the power better not go out while I'm typing or else!

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**The Pocky Game and Other Short Stories**

Chapter Four: _Rainy Days_

Pairing: _Sora/Layla_

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Did you ever get that feeling, you know, the one when you're stuck inside on a rainy day with nothing to do? You get that really gloomy, bored feeling that nobody likes. Well, that's the kind of day the Kaleido Stage's performers have today. Leon, who was unsurprisingly gloomy (the rain probably made it worse), decided to train the day away. May, who still seemed peppy, grabbed Rosetta and followed suit, practicing their routines over and over again. Mia clacked away on her computer keys for a bit, only to get fed up when a lightning strike made the power go out momentarily. She just picked up the whole computer and chucked it out the window, only to find the power came back in the same minute it hit the ground floor. Anna tried to cheer her up, only to find that she herself didn't quite feel so animated today. Yes, the rain changed people's personalities in many different ways. Surprisingly though, it changed the legendary Golden Phoenix -yes, the Layla Hamilton- too. Sora had found herself running an important errand for the Phoenix herself -pick her up from the train station. Sora herself found it odd that Layla would go and take a middle-class train when she was an upper-class citizen, I mean, she has a chauffeur right? But there was no nitpicking about it, Sora's duty of the day was to pick up Miss Layla from the train station right away. Sora sat on a seat in the train station, tapping her foot to an imaginary beat. A single red umbrella occupied the seat next to her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sora."

Sora snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see her idol. She smiled and shook her head.

"That's okay, Layla-san! I don't mind waiting, for you that is."

Sora blushed slightly and looked at the small red umbrella. Layla, who was paying attention to her friend's facial expression, followed her eyes to the umbrella and stifled a giggle.

"I'm afraid it won't be big enough to accommodate both of us."

Sora blushed brighter and turned her attention back to Layla.

"O-Oh, that's okay. You use the umbrella--"

"But you'll be stuck in the rain?"

"I-I-I'll be okay--"

"You'll catch a cold, or a fever, or worse. I won't have that! We'll share."

Layla smiled and grabbed the umbrella before her friend did.

"Now lets go."

The phoenix smiled a smile so bright that even the Phoenix's rebirth couldn't glow as brilliant as she did. Sora smiled and followed after her friend. When they reached the entrance however, Layla ceased walking and looked around, slightly confused.

"So you really didn't bring a car?"

Sora laughed sheepishly and played with a strand of hair. Layla looked back at her.

"So you mean you walked here, just for me?"

Sora blushed and stuttered.

"O-Of course! I would do anything… for you Layla-san."

Layla shook her head and smiled.

"Anything, huh? It's nice to know I have such a devoted supporter and companion."

The two laughed together and left the train station, clutching onto the umbrella for dear life. The mere thought of how they looked together made them burst with laughter. Layla tugged on Sora's arm and pulled her into a nearby park. Sora, confused about the detour, followed her friend reluctantly.

"L-Layla-san! Your father said he wanted you home as soon as--"

"Father can wait. He wasn't the one who came out here in the rain to pick me up. We still have time for leisure, don't we?"

Sora gave her a hard stare before shrugging and following along. Layla seemed different today, really different. Layla, noticing the sudden silence, stopped and spun around to be face to face with Sora. Sora flushed and flailed a bit before calming down. 'Layla-kun sure is startling me today… what's with her attitude?'

"Hey Sora, have you ever played in the rain?"

Sora cocked her head to one side.

"Yeah, I think almost every curious kid gave it a try once in a while. Why?"

Layla's face went a little sad and she looked away from her.

"I never did. I always wanted to, but I couldn't."

Sora blinked.

"Of course you could have!"

"No, you don't get it,"

She grabbed Sora's hand and led her over to a bench. They sat down and watched as a some children played in puddles before running back to their mother.

"I was a sheltered child, Sora. My father never let me out of his sight, lest something bad happened to me. After mom died, father tightened up the lack of restrictions on my leash. I was pampered and it was expected of me that I would grow up quickly. I had no time after mom died, for a real childhood. Childhood memories shouldn't always be about practicing the piano until you were able to memorize every key in every basic song or doing ballet and gymnastics until your feet hurt and you received bleeding toenails and aching legs,"

Layla gave Sora the umbrella and stood up in the rain, twirling gently. She laughed whilst speaking and spinning.

"it should be about being able to spend quality time with family and friends, and making good memories! I thought that one day, my dad would just be spontaneous and say, 'Lets go to the beach, Layla!' or 'Lets go play in the park today and get some ice cream, dear!' but he never did…"

She stopped spinning and faced Sora.

"Sora… would you… play in the rain with me?"

Sora blinked tears out of her eyes and stood up, dropping the umbrella on the bench behind her. Layla's head was tilted back, her eyes focused on the raindrops and the sky. The rain ran down her face and onto her white clothes (Sora's eyes had glanced at the white shirt clinging onto Layla's skin as well, blushing as her eyes wandered over the Phoenix's chest).

"I'll gladly play with you Layla-san."

Layla looked back at Sora and smiled.

"Thanks, Sora-chan."

Sora ran over and wrapped a friendly arm around Layla's neck and -blushing- went on the tips of her toes to kiss Layla on the cheek. Layla flushed slightly.

"What was that for?"

Sora cheeks went rosy when she giggled.

"For finally using honorifics with my name."

And for once, the Phoenix played in the rain without fear of losing its flame, and it had a companion, the Angel.

--¤--

Fluffy fluff! Just musing on Layla's personality change when it rains (Did you ever see the OVA for Layla's background story? Pretty amazing, might I add --loved Sora's rendition of the Golden Phoenix! Well, when Layla crashed her bike and ends up in the rain, I found her being the most OOC I've ever seen her!) and added a little fluffy shojo-ai in the mix! I personally didn't like this pairing until I read a story with Layla/Sora and fell in love! xD


	5. A Long Journey Begins With One Step

After this, Rosetta and Sora galore! Then a Layla/Yuri one! Enjoy!

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**The Pocky Game and Other Short Stories**

Chapter Five:

The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step

Pairing: Sora/Leon

--¤--

The Angel's Act, an act that was only dreamt of, was finally completed. Leon decided that once Sora had finished this show, he would work his hardest to promote Sora's career and would stay by her side at Kaleido Stage.

"Banzai! Great job everyone!"

Confetti and silly string flew everywhere and on everyone. Sora and the others cheered and drank to their hearts content, the overflowing feeling of happiness glowing on their facial features. Leon smiled softly to himself. Parties weren't really his thing, but he would try to enjoy it. Within minutes, Sarah and Cathy had managed to get themselves drunk, Anna and her troop performed onto of tables, and Rosetta was still grinning like an idiot, unbelieving of the fact that she was chosen as the next star. Leon smile slowly drained when he saw Sora's face-- smiling happily, promising everyone around her to make the next show even better, and the same for the shows after that.

'Can I really support her dream? I told myself I had no doubts, but now…'

Sora giggled and looked around for Leon.

"Hey, where did Leon-san go?"

May shrugged and took a sip of her soda.

"Like I know. Maybe he's celebrating by himself? After all, he's not the type to mingle with a big crowd--huh? Where'd you go? Oh well… more cake!"

Sora had exited the room, searching the hallways for Leon.

"Where could he have run off to?"

"You looking for someone, Sora?"

She spun around to meet Yuri face to face. She blushed and took a step backwards.

"O-Oh, Yuri-kun, I didn't see you there. I'm looking for--"

"Leon? He's in the usual place."

Sora cocked her head to the side, pondering where that could be. (This could take a while, grab some popcorn!)

Yuri smiled and took her hand. Sora's attention averted to the hand, then to his eyes.

"Why don't I just take you there?"

Sora blushed and nodded. Yuri led her up to the catwalks, cautiously leading her over the beams that creaked high above the ground. As predicted, Leon was sitting on a bar, looking at the sunrise. Yuri sighed.

"You never were one for parties."

Leon, surprised, turned around with wide eyes.

"Leon-san, you just left like that! You had me worried--oh, ah!"

Sora swayed, nearly falling off the catwalks. Leon outstretched his hand to take hold of her wrist and pulled her towards him.

"Clumsy idiot. You shouldn't worry about me…"

Yuri smiled softly and turned around, walking carefully back to the ladder.

"I'll leave you two alone."

Sora blushed as she found herself sitting awkwardly in Leon's lap. Leon coughed to disturb the silence and placed his hands on her hips, moving his to a comfortable position on the bar beside him.

"Why are you worried about me?"

"Who wouldn't be? You're acting so weird, Leon-san! What's wrong? Were you thinking about Sophie-san?"

Leon smiled.

"Not exactly. I was thinking about you, your dreams, my ambitions…"

Sora blushed and sighed.

"You're one tough cookie, you know that?"

"Huh? T-Tough cookie?"

"I'll never understand you! No matter how many times I try to understand your thoughts, I end up putting my own head in a jumble! Why don't you just tell me what you feel?!"

Leon face flushed slightly and he looked back at the sunrise.

"I-I don't know what to feel…"

Sora gave him another confused sigh. Leon sweatdropped.

"I mean, I'm confused myself, Sora. I want to help you, but I don't know how or where to start. You've done so much for me, yet I gave you nothing in return."

Sora blinked and blushed, staring hard at his face.

"You look kinda cool with the sunlight hitting you face like that…"

Leon, whose blush grew brighter, didn't turn to look at her. Sora smiled.

"There was this thing I heard, back in school, my teacher was wishing me good luck and she said, "The journey of a thousand begins with a single step," which meant, "You must take your time, start out small and you will become great," do you understand the meaning of it Leon?"

Leon nodded and gave her a look, confused at her choice of words. Sora moved over closer to him, placing her hand on top of his. Leon look at her hand and felt a blush creeping on his face.

"Will you do me a favor Leon? Stay by my side, please?"

"O-Of course. If that is what you wish."

Sora looked at him and smiled brightly.

"Just promising me that one thing, will bring many great things to come, I'm sure of it."

Leon nodded silently and took his had away from hers, and instead, he wrapped the arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. They sat in silence, watching the sun and sea glitter. Sora sighed.

"Now that you're all better, time to party! We've got another show bright and early, so let's live it up until then!"

Sora jumped up and stumbled across the catwalks clumsily. Leon chuckled warmly and got up after her.

"Watch out you idiot… god, what would I do without you…"

--¤--

Cute, ne? Hope you enjoyed it! God, I need to update more often!

INFO:

The quote, "The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step" comes from Confucious. I was flipping through a book of old proverbs and quotes and found it and got my inspiration!

The songs that go with this fanfiction (I listened to both while writing!) are:

Her Most Beautiful Smile - A piano piece from the great anime, Rurouni Kenshin

&

「why, or why not」 by Rekka Katakiri - From the hit anime and game, Higurashi no Naku no Koro Ni Kai, Rekka Katakiri made a character song that fit my story to a tee! Well, it fits Leon's character to a tee (it has a lot of angsty stuff in it too, if you give the lyrics some thought...)

JA NE!


	6. GOMENSAI

A note, to all my dearest readers,

Please forgive me, but I am unable to write for Opposites Attract and P&P:TOTL for the time being. I have to keep up with a lot of stuff and in fact, I am already falling behind in class. I have to keep my grades up in order to stay in the Honors program and ATOMS program, I also have club activities and a duty to work on The Emerald (my school newspaper) amongst other things. I have to start cutting back on updates for major stories, sorry.

BUT, I do have something else for you all. I'm in the midst of writing two oneshots and one long story; the oneshots are based on Jigoku Shoujo (Hell Girl) and Twilight, and my longer story is based off of Twilight but in my own retelling with my own characters. THE LONG STORY WILL PROBABLY BE ADDED TO MY BLOG, but, I will indeed try to put it up on FF for everyone else to read. Please understand my plight and I hope you are not too disappointed with me!

Arigato gozaimasu, gomenasai…

Arielle-san (a.k.a. kissmyanimex2008, Panda-chan, Ms. Neverland)


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